How a Texas Tale Became Our Community Promise

“Last month, I found myself standing in front of a room full of professionals at Walsall College, about to share a story that began in a tiny Texas town and led to everything we’re building at West Midlands House.” – Jeni Sellick, Centre Manager at West Midlands House.

From Inspiration to Presentation

When the opportunity came up to a speak at a Black Country Chamber of Commerce networking event, I knew exactly what story I wanted to tell. Not the usual business pitch about office space and meeting rooms, but something much more personal – a tale about discovering what real business community looks like.

Standing there in that room at Walsall College, looking out at fellow business owners, freelancers, and entrepreneurs, I started with a simple question: “What does business community mean to you?”

You could see people really thinking about it. And that’s exactly where I wanted them to be, because I was about to share how my entire perspective on this question changed during a mad road trip through Texas earlier this year.

The Texas Discovery That Changed Everything

I told them about Bandera – a tiny town with less than a thousand people, where my partner and I ended up staying at the Vaquero Motel. From the moment we checked into those rustic little cabins, something was different.

“The owners immediately started telling us where to go and what to see.” I explained to the room. “You HAVE to get breakfast tacos at OST,” they said, “Tell them we sent you.”

As I shared the story of how every person we met was genuinely excited to help us explore their town, how they were all actively sending business to each other, I could see the recognition dawning on faces around the room. This wasn’t just a travel story, this was about something we all craved in our business lives.

“Every single person we met was genuinely excited to share their town with us, and more importantly, they were actively sending business to each other,” I told them. “The motel owner told us about OST. The breakfast waitress told us about trail riding. The bartender told us about the antiques shop.”

The beautiful thing about speaking to that audience was the immediate understanding. These were people who knew exactly what it felt like to face Monday morning challenges alone – wrestling with difficult clients, questioning pricing, needing referrals.

Connecting Texas to the Black Country

“Now imagine,” I said to them, “if instead of googling frantically or staring at the ceiling hoping for divine inspiration, you could just pop your head around the door and say, has anyone dealt with something like this before?”.

That’s when I saw the real engagement. Because that’s the dream, isn’t it? Having that support network, those corridor conversations, those coffee machine moments where real relationships are built.

I explained how this Texas experience had become the blueprint for everything we were creating at West Midlands House – our own little Bandera, right here in the Black Country. Not just office space, but a genuine community where businesses actively support each other.

The Response That Proved the Point

What happened after the talk was perhaps the most telling part of the whole experience. People didn’t just politely clap and more on to the coffee. They lingered. They approached me with stories of their own, I even had a request to deliver the talk at another local networking group.

But here’s what really struck me; by the end of the morning, I’d witnessed the exact thing I’d been talking about. People were making connections, exchanging cards, arranging to meet for coffee. The Chamber had created that Bandera moment right there in Walsall College.

Why We Take Our Story Out There

Speaking at events like this isn’t just about promoting West Midlands House – though of course we hope people will come and see what we’re building. It’s about spreading the message that business doesn’t have to be lonely.

When I stood up that morning and shared our story, I wasn’t just talking about office space in a converted lock factory. I was talking about recreating that sense of community, that mutual support, that eco system where everyone prospers because they help each other.

The fact that I’m sitting here in Walsall, writing about a tiny town in Texas that I visited for just two days, and that story resonated with a room full of Black Country professionals – that’s the power of what we’re all trying to build together.

From Talk to Action

Since that presentation, we’ve had several people from that morning visit West Midlands House. Some have become members, other have joined our community events, and a few have simply kept in touch because they appreciated the honest conversation about the challenges of running a business.

But the real success wasn’t in the immediate sign-ups. It was in the reminder that the spirit of community – that Bandera approach to business – is alive and well right here in the Black Country.

The Ongoing Mission

After 26 years of building business environments across the UK, I’ve learned that people make places. And places where you can be yourself, get support when you need it, and celebrate wins together – that’s how small businesses don’t just survive, they thrive.

That morning at Walsall College reminded me why we do what we do. It’s not just about providing desks and meeting rooms. It’s about recreating that feeling I discovered in a tiny Texas town – the feeling of being part of something bigger, where your success is everyone’s success.

Every time we get the chance to share this story, to connect with fellow business owners, to spread the word about what real community can look like, we’re doing our bit to build that eco system right here in the Black Country.

And judging by the response that morning, there are plenty of people ready to be part of it.

Want to experience what we’re building at West Midlands House? Come along to one of our community events or book a visit to see how we’re bringing the Bandera spirit to Willenhall.